Facebook to Launch News Tab on Friday, October 25

On October 23, Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated during a congressional hearing that the company would be launching its News Tab later in the week. The company spokesperson later confirmed that the new initiative to support high-quality journalism would be launched at a news conference in New York City on Friday, October 25. Facebook has reportedly been negotiating licenses with news publishers to license content for the News Tab, which will be curated in part by veteran journalists. Mr. Zuckerberg’s announcement came during the House Financial Services Committee hearing titled “An Examination of Facebook and Its Impact on the Financial Services and Housing Sectors.” Mr. Zuckerberg was the sole witness at the hearing and was answering a question from Representative Frank Lucas (R-OK) about Facebook’s media literacy initiatives and other efforts to promote trusted information on the platform. Read more about Friday’s planned announcement here and watch the hearing here.